1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to gin hoists that raise and lift cables of various kinds overhead to assist working linemen.
2. Related Art
There are varying kinds of hoists and gins in the prior art to assist linemen in lifting cables to perform work on existing support structures or to erect new support structures with cables. For example, there are gin hoists that lift electrical cables under heavy tension from the insulators that support them so linemen can perform service or repairs. While the prior art discloses technology to lift cables, there are disadvantages.
The gin hoists of the prior art have limited capabilities of redistributing the loads encountered when lifting the cables. This presents problems for the work vehicle and gin hoist when lifting heavy cables. The gin hoists must be large and cumbersome to lift the heavy cables using the prior art. This does not allow current gin hoists a wide range of movement both along the pole and at varying angles when lifting the cables. Further, current gin hoists do not allow access by work vehicles to all areas around the work site. Additionally, the size of the prior art gin hoists does not allow for easy or compact storage.